The Last Olympian:twist
by I'm an author-I think
Summary: What if blackjack didn't land on the prius at the start of the book? Would Percy and Rachel become a couple? If they do how would a jealous Annabeth react? How would it affect the war and their friendship? Would they still end up together in the end?
1. Chapter 1

I was having a great afternoon. Technically I wasn't supposed to be driving because I wouldn't turn sixteen for another week, but my mom and my stepdad, Paul, took my friend Rachel and me to this private stretch of beach on the South Shore, and Paul let us borrow his Prius for a short spin.

Now, I know you're thinking, _Wow, that was really irresponsible of him, blah, blah, blah, _but Paul knows me pretty well. He's seen me slice up demons and leap out of exploding school buildings, so he probably figured taking a car a few hundred yards wasn't exactly the most dangerous thing I'd ever done.

Anyway, Rachel and I were driving along. It was a hot August day. Rachel's red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a white blouse over her swimsuit. I'd never seen her in anything but ratty T-shirts and paint-splattered jeans before, and she looked like a million golden drachmas.

"Oh, pull up right there!" she told me.

We parked on a ridge overlooking the Atlantic. The sea is always one of my favorite places, but today it was especially nice—glittery green and smooth as glass, as though my dad was keeping it calm just for us.

My dad, by the way, is Poseidon. He can do stuff like that.

"So."Rachel smiled at me. "About that invitation."

"Oh . . . right." I tried to sound excited. I mean, she'd asked me to her family's vacation house on St. Thomas for three days. I didn't get a lot of offers like that. My family's idea of a fancy vacation was a weekend in a rundown cabin on Long Island with some movie rentals and a couple of frozen pizzas, and here Rachel's folks were willing to let me tag along to the Caribbean.

Besides, I seriously needed a vacation. This summer had been the hardest of my life. The idea of taking a break even for a few days was really tempting.

Still, something big was supposed to go down any day now. I was "on call" for a mission. Even worse, next week was my birthday. There was this prophecy that said when I turned sixteen, bad things would happen.

"Percy," she said, "I know the timing is bad. But it's _always _bad for you, right?"

She had a point.

"I really want to go," I promised. "It's just—"

"The war."

I nodded. I didn't like talking about it, but Rachel knew. Unlike most mortals, she could see through the Mist—the magic veil that distorts human vision. She'd seen monsters. She'd met some of the other demigods who were fighting the Titans and their allies. She'd even been there last summer when the chopped-up Lord Kronos rose out of his coffin in a terrible new form, and she'd earned my permanent respect by nailing him in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush.

She put her hand on my arm. "Just think about it, okay? We don't leave for a couple of days. My dad..." Her voice faltered.

"Is he giving you a hard time?" I asked.

Rachel shook her head in disgust. "He's trying to be _nice _to me, which is almost worse. He wants me to go to Clarion Ladies Academy in the fall."

"The school where your mom went?"

"It's a stupid finishing school for society girls, all the way in New Hampshire. Can you see me in finishing school?"

I admitted the idea sounded pretty dumb. Rachel was into urban art projects and feeding the homeless and going to protest rallies to "Save the Endangered Yellow-bellied Sapsucker" and stuff like that. I'd never even seen her wear a dress. It was hard to imagine her learning to be a socialite.

She sighed. "He thinks if he does a bunch of nice stuff for me, I'll feel guilty and give in."

"Which is why he agreed to let me come with you guys on vacation?"

"Yes . . . but Percy, you'd be doing me a huge favor. It would be _so _much better if you were with us.

Besides, there's something I want to talk—" She stopped abruptly.

"Something you want to talk about?" I asked. "You mean . . . so serious we'd have to go to St. Thomas to talk about it?"

She pursed her lips. "Look, just forget it for now. Let's pretend we're a couple of normal people. We're out for a drive, and we're watching the ocean, and it's nice to be together."

I could tell something was bothering her, but she put on a brave smile. The sunlight made her hair look like fire.

We'd spent a lot of time together this summer. I hadn't exactly planned it that way, but the more serious things got at camp, the more I found myself needing to call up Rachel and get away, just for some breathing room. I needed to remind myself that the mortal world was still out there, away from all the monsters using me as their personal punching bag.

"Okay," I said."Just a normal afternoon and two normal people."

She nodded. "And so . . . hypothetically, if these two people liked each other, what would it take to getthe stupidguy to kiss the girl, huh?"

"Oh . . ." I felt like one of Apollo's sacred cows—slow, dumb, and bright red. "Um . . ."

I can't pretend I hadn't thought about Rachel. She was so much easier to be around than . . . well, than some other girls I knew. I didn't have to work hard, or watch what I said, or rack my brain trying to figure out what she was thinking. Rachel didn't hide much. She let you know how she felt. So I kinda figured that this was my best shot of ever getting a girlfriend. I looked at Rachel again and saw panic in her eyes.

"Look. Percy, if you don't feel the same way it's fine. Just...forget I said anything" Rachel opened her door and got out.

"Rachel, wait" I got out and went after her. It took a few seconds 'til I finally caught her arm.

"Percy, I—" It took guts but I silenced her with a kiss and so began the stupidest mistake of my life.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Percy, I—" It took guts but I silenced her with a kiss and so began the stupidest mistake of my life._

The kiss was…awesome. I guess? I mean, come on I'm a guy. I'm not really an expert when it comes to kissing. All I know is her lips tasted like strawberries. We stayed like that for Zeus knows how long. We only pulled apart to catch our breath.

"So…what does this make us?" I caught my breath

"I think we've past the point of being friends" she said with a smug

I just smiled "Come on, let's take the car back and have some fun"

When returned the Prius, mom and Paul decided to try this spa close to the beach. They said they'd come back to pick us up later. So we pretty much had the day to ourselves. We decided to go for a walk around the beach. At some point, we began splashing each other with water. I even willed myself to get wet so people won't get too curious. Being the son of Poseidon, I had an unfair advantage. I summoned a wave and directly splashed it on Rachel. But rather than complaining, Rachel got creative. She got a chunk of wet sand and threw it at my face.

"Oh, it is ON" I went on to chase her around the beach. She yelped when I caught up with her, we tumbled along the sand. We were laughing hysterically the whole time. We made out for about an hour or so.

We grabbed some lunch at the beach's snack bar. We were talking about school and other stuff but our conversation ended when I brought up her recent art projects. She talked about all these fancy art words which I had no idea what they were. I just kept nodding and agreeing. I was surprised when she raised her eyebrow and stopped.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

"yup"

"Let's just talk about something else" she giggled. "But I should teach you something about art sometime"

"Oh, gods" I muttered and Rachel laughed, which was kind of nice to see. We finished our food and as I was wiping the ketchup on my face, "Come one, let's go for a walk", Rachel invited.

"Sure, just don't throw wet sand at me again"

"No promises" Rachel smiled.

We held hands as we walked down the beach. We joked, laughed, and bumped each other's shoulder as we made our way around the beach. When we got to a more private portion of the beach we decided to continue making out.

Anyway, we ended up sitting on the beach watching the sunset while eating ice cream. Rachel rested her head on my shoulder as the beautiful sun set itself into the sea. The sun made the calm sea glisten like never before. But as beautiful as it was, Rachel was ten times more beautiful. I rested my head on top of Rachel's and for a moment I felt like the luckiest demigod on the planet. Of course being the lucky demigod that I am, we were interrupted by the neighing of a horse, a flying horse to be exact. On that cue a black Pegasus landed on the sand and blocked our view.

"Blackjack," I sighed. "What are you—"

Then I saw who was riding on his back, and I knew my date was over

" 'Sup, Percy."

Beckendorf was dressed for combat. He wore a bronze breastplate and war helm with black camouflage pants and a sword strapped to his side. His explosives bag was slung over his shoulder.

"Time?"I asked.

He nodded grimly.

A clump formed in my throat. I'd known this was coming. We'd been planning for it for weeks, but I'd half hoped it would never happen.

Rachel looked up at Beckendorf. "Hi."

"Oh, hey. I'm Beckendorf. You must be Rachel. Percy's told me . . . uh, I mean he mentioned you."

Rachel raised an eyebrow."Really? Good." She glanced at Blackjack, who was clopping his hooves on the sand. "So I guess you guys have to go save the world now."

"Pretty much," Beckendorf agreed.

I looked at Rachel helplessly. "Would you tell my mom—"

"I'll tell her. I'm sure she's used to it."

I nodded my thanks.

"Good luck and here's a little something to remember me by." Rachel kissed me before I could even react. "Now, get going, half-blood. Go kill some monsters for me."

I blushed and nodded. My last view of her was standing on the sandy beach waving goodbye.

We circled higher and higher, carrying Beckendorf and me into the sky. I wondered what other thing Rachel wanted to talk to me about, and whether I'd live long enough to find out.

"So," Beckendorf said, "Anything you wanna tell me, _Romeo?_"

"Shut up" I blushed.

Beckendorf chuckled "I wonder how Annabeth'll take it?"

"Oh gods" I muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Appreciate the reviews, Thanks :) I'll try to make things as interesting as I can. Also, as always, all rights belong to Rick Riordan**

_Beckendorf chuckled "I wonder how Annabeth'll take it?"_

"_Oh gods" I muttered._

A shiver went down my spine. I hadn't really considered how Annabeth would feel about this. She never really liked Rachel from the start. Annabeth's usually very nice. I had no idea what she had against her. I mean every time Rachel was around Annabeth acted completely different. It's like she wanted to feed Rachel to a pack of hungry hellhounds. I wonder how she'll take it when she finds out I'm dating her. I hope she doesn't get too mad that she'd stop being my friend. My thoughts were interrupted when we spotted our target. The _Princess Andromeda _glowed on the horizon—a huge cruise ship lit up yellow and white. From a distance, you'd think it was just a party ship, not the headquarters for the Titan lord. Then as you got closer, you might notice the giant figurehead—a dark-haired maiden in a Greek chiton, wrapped in chains with a look of horror on her face, as if she could smell the stench of all the monsters she was being forced to carry.

"You know what to do?" Beckendorf yelled over the wind.

I nodded. "Blackjack," I said, "set us down on the lowest stern deck."

Gotcha, boss, he said. _Man, I hate seeing that boat._

"Don't wait for us," I told him.

But, boss—

"Trust me," I said. "We'll get out by ourselves."

Blackjack folded his wings and plummeted toward the boat like a black comet. The wind whistled in my ears. I saw monsters patrolling the upper decks of the ship—_dracaenae _snake-women, giants, and the humanoid seal-demons known as telkhines—but we zipped by so fast, none of them raised the alarm. We shot down the stern of the boat, and Blackjack spread his wings, lightly coming to a landing on the lowest deck. I climbed off, feeling queasy.

Good luck, boss, Blackjack said. _Don't let 'em turn you into horse meat!_

With that, my old friend flew off into the night. I took my pen out of my pocket and uncapped it, and Riptide sprang to full size—three feet of deadly Celestial bronze glowing in the dusk.

Beckendorf pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. I thought it was a map or something. Then I realized it was a photograph. He stared at it in the dim light—the smiling face of Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite. They'd started going out last summer, after years of the rest of us saying, "Duh, you guys like each other!" Even with all the dangerous missions, Beckendorf had been happier this summer than I'd ever seen him.

"We'll make it back to camp," I promised.

For_a _second I saw worry in his eyes. Then he put on his old confident smile.

"You bet," he said. "Let's go blow Kronos back into a million pieces."

Beckendorf led the way. We followed a narrow corridor to the service stairwell, just like we'd practiced, but we froze when we heard noises above us.

"I don't care what your nose says!" snarled a half-human, half-dog voice—a telkhine. "The last time you smelled half-blood, it turned out to be a meat loaf sandwich!"

"Meat loaf sandwiches are good!" a second voice snarled. "But this is half-blood scent, I swear. They are on board!"

"Bah, your _brain _isn't on board!"

They continued to argue, and Beckendorf pointed downstairs. We descended as quietly as we could.

Two floors down, the voices of the telkhines started to fade.

Finally we came to a metal hatch. Beckendorf mouthed the words "engine room."

It was locked, but Beckendorf pulled some chain cutters out of his bag and split the bolt like it was made of butter.

Inside, a row of yellow turbines the size of grain silos churned and hummed. Pressure gauges and computer terminals lined the opposite wall. A telkhine was hunched over a console, but he was so involved with his work, he didn't notice us. He was about five feet tall, with slick black seal fur and stubby little feet. He had the head of a Doberman, but his clawed hands were almost human. He growled and muttered as he tapped on his keyboard. Maybe he was messaging his friends on .

I stepped forward, and he tensed, probably smelling something was wrong. He leaped sideways toward a big red alarm button, but I blocked his path. He hissed and lunged at me, but one slice of Riptide, and he exploded into dust.

"One down," Beckendorf said."About five thousand to go." He tossed me a jar of thick green liquid—Greek fire, one of the most dangerous magical substances in the world. Then he threw me another essential tool of demigod heroes—duct tape.

"Slap that one on the console," he said. "I'll get the turbines."

We went to work. The room was hot and humid, and in no time we were drenched in sweat.

The boat kept chugging along. Being the son of Poseidon and all, I have perfect bearings at sea. Don't ask me how, but I could tell we were at 40.19°North , 71.90° West, making eighteen knots, which meant the ship would arrive in New York Harbor by dawn. This would be our only chance to stop it.

I had just attached a second jar of Greek fire to the control panels when I heard the pounding of feet on metal steps—so many creatures coming down the stairwell I could hear them over the engines. Not a good sign.

I locked eyes with Beckendorf."How much longer?"

"Too long."He tapped his watch, which was our remote control detonator. "I still have to wire the receiver and prime the charges. Ten more minutes at least."

Judging from the sound of the footsteps, we had about ten seconds.

"Give me the watch, I'll distract them for as long as I can," I said. "Get out as soon as you can and I'll meet you at the back-up rendezvous point."

"Percy—"

"Wish me luck."

He looked like he wanted to argue. The whole idea had been to get in and out without being spotted.

But we were going to have to improvise.

"Good luck," he handed me the watch.

I set the watch's timer to ten minutes and slapped it on my wrist.

Then I charged out the door.

A half dozen telkhines were tromping down the stairs. I cut through them with Riptide faster than they could yelp. I kept climbing—past another telkhine, who was so startled he dropped his Lil' Demons lunch box. I left him alive—partly because his lunch box was cool, partly so he could raise the alarm and hopefully get his friends to follow me rather than head toward the engine room.

I burst through a door onto deck six and kept running. I'm sure the carpeted hall had once been very plush, but over the last three years of monster occupation the wallpaper, carpet, and stateroom doors had been clawed up and slimed so it looked like the inside of a dragon's throat (and yes, unfortunately, I speak from experience).

Back on my first visit to the _Princess Andromeda, _my old enemy Luke had kept some dazed tourists on board for show, shrouded in Mist so they didn't realize they were on a monster-infested ship. Now I didn't see any sign of tourists. I hated to think what had happened to them, but I kind of doubted they'dbeen allowed to go home with their bingo winnings.

I reached the promenade, a big shopping mall that took up the whole middle of the ship, and I stopped cold. In the middle of the courtyard stood a fountain. And in the fountain squatted a giant crab.

I'm not talking "giant" like $7.99 all-you-can-eat Alaskan king crab. I'm talking_giant _like bigger than the fountain. The monster rose ten feet out of the water. Its shell was mottled blue and green, its pincers longer than my body.

If you've ever seen a crab's mouth, all foamy and gross with whiskers and snapping bits, you can imagine this one didn't look any better blown up to billboard size. Its beady black eyes glared at me, and I could see intelligence in them—and hate. The fact that I was the son of the sea god was not going to win me any points with Mr. Crabby.

"_FFFFffffff,_"it hissed, sea foam dripping from its mouth. The smell coming off it was like a garbage can full of fish sticks that had been sitting in the sun all week.

Alarms blared. Soon I was going to have lots of company and I had to keep moving.

"Hey, crabby."I inched around the edge of the courtyard.

"I'm just gonna scoot around you so—"

The crab moved with amazing speed. It scuttled out of the fountain and came straight at me, pincers snapping. 1 dove into a gift shop, plowing through a rack of T-shirts. A crab pincer smashed the glass walls to pieces and raked across the room. I dashed back outside, breathing heavily, but Mr. Crabby turned and followed.

"There!" a voice said from a balcony above me."Intruder!"

If I'd wanted to create a distraction, I'd succeeded, but this was not where I wanted to fight. If I got pinned down in the center of the ship, I was crab chow.

The demonic crustacean lunged at me. I sliced with Riptide, taking off the tip of its claw. It hissed and foamed, but didn't seem very hurt.

I tried to remember anything from the old stories that might help with this thing. Annabeth had told me about a monster crab—something about Hercules crushing it under his foot? That wasn't going to work here. This crab was slightly bigger than my Reeboks.

Then a weird thought occurred to me. Last Christmas, my mom and I had brought Paul Blofis to our old cabin at Montauk, where we'd been going forever. Paul had taken me crabbing, and when he'd brought up a net full of the things, he'd shown me how crabs have a chink in their armor, right in the middle of their ugly bellies.

The only problem was getting to the ugly belly.

I glanced at the fountain, then at the marble floor, already slick from scuttling crab tracks. I held out my hand, concentrating on the water, and the fountain exploded. Water sprayed everywhere, three stories high, dousing the balconies and the elevators and the windows of the shops. The crab didn't care. It loved water. It came at me sideways, snapping and hissing, and I ran straight at it, screaming,

"AHHHHHHH!"

Just before we collided, I hit the ground baseball-style and slid on the wet marble floor straight under the creature. It was like sliding under a seven-ton armored vehicle. All the crab had to do was sit and squash me, but before it realized what was going on, I jabbed Riptide into the chink in its armor, let go of the hilt, and pushed myself out the backside.

The monster shuddered and hissed. Its eyes dissolved. Its shell turned bright red as its insides evaporated. The empty shell clattered to the floor in a massive heap.

I didn't have time to admire my handiwork. I ran for the nearest stairs while all around me monsters and demigods shouted orders and strapped on their weapons. I was empty-handed. Riptide, being magic, would appear in my pocket sooner or later, but for now it was stuck somewhere under the wreckage of the crab, and I had no time to retrieve it.

In the elevator foyer on deck eight, a couple of _d_racaenae slithered across my path. From the waist up, they were women with green scaly skin, yellow eyes, and forked tongues. From the waist down, they had double snake trunks instead of legs. They held spears and weighted nets, and I knew from experience they could use them.

"What isss thisss?" one said."A prize for Kronosss!"

I wasn't in the mood to play break-the-snake, but in front of me was a stand with a model of the ship, like a YOU ARE HERE display. I ripped the model off the pedestal and hurled it at the first _dracaena._

The boat smacked her in the face and she went down with the ship. I jumped over her, grabbed her friend's spear, and swung her around. She slammed into the elevator, and I kept running toward the front of the ship.

"Get him!" she screamed.

An arrow from somewhere whizzed past my face and impaled itself in the mahogany-paneled wall of the stairwell.

I didn't care—as long as I got the monsters away from the engine room and gave Beckendorf more time.

As I was running up the stairwell, a kid charged down. He looked like he'd just woken up from a nap.

His armor was half on. He drew his sword and yelled, "Kronos!" but he sounded more scared than angry. He couldn't have been more than twelve—about the same age I was when I'd first arrived at Camp Half-Blood.

That thought depressed me. This kid was getting brainwashed— trained to hate the gods and lash out because he'd been born half Olympian. Kronos was using him, and yet the kid thought I was his enemy.

No way was I going to hurt him. I didn't need a weapon for this. I stepped inside his strike and grabbed his wrist, slamming it against the wall. His sword clattered out of his hand.

Then I did something I hadn't planned on. It was probably stupid. It definitely jeopardized our mission, but I couldn't help it.

"If you want to live," I told him, "get off this ship _now. _Tell the other demigods." Then I shoved him down the stairs and sent him tumbling to the next floor.

I kept climbing.

Bad memories: a hallway ran past the cafeteria. Annabeth, my half-brother Tyson, and I had sneaked through here three years ago on my first visit.

I burst outside onto the main deck. Off the port bow, the sky was darkening from purple to black. A swimming pool glowed between two glass towers with more balconies and restaurant decks. The whole upper ship seemed eerily deserted.

All I had to do was cross to the other side. Then I could take the staircase down to the helipad—our first rendezvous point. With any luck, Beckendorf would meet me there. We'd jump into the sea.

My water powers would protect us both, and we'd detonate the charges from a quarter mile away. Of course that was the original plan, a lot safer than the one we were going to do now.

I was halfway across the deck when the sound of a voice made me freeze. "You're late, Percy."

Luke stood on the balcony above me, a smile on his scarred face. He wore jeans, a white T-shirt, and flip-flops, like he was just a normal college-age guy, but his eyes told the truth. They were solid gold.

"We've been expecting you for days." At first he sounded normal, like Luke. But then his face twitched.

A shudder passed through his body as though he'd just drunk something really nasty. His voice became heavier, ancient, and powerful—the voice of the Titan lord Kronos. The words scraped down my spine like a knife blade. "Come, bow before me."

"Yeah, that'll happen," I muttered.

Laistrygonian giants filed in on either side of the swimming pool as if they'd been waiting for a cue. Each was eight feet tall with tattooed arms, leather armor, and spiked clubs. Demigod archers appeared on the roof above Luke. Two _Dracaenae _burst out from the opposite balcony and hissed at me. Within seconds I was surrounded. A trap: there's no way they could've gotten into position so fast unless they'd known I was coming.

I looked up at Luke, and anger boiled inside me. I didn't know if Luke's consciousness was even still alive inside that body. Maybe, the way his voice had changed . . . or maybe it was just Kronos adapting to his new form. I told myself it didn't matter. Luke had been twisted and evil long before Kronos possessed him.

A voice in my head said: _I have to fight him eventually. Why not now?_

According to that big prophecy, I was supposed to make a choice that saved or destroyed the world when I was sixteen. That was only seven days away. Why not now? If I really had the power, what difference would a week make? I could end this threat right here by taking down Kronos. Hey, I'd fought monsters and gods before.

As if reading my thoughts, Luke smiled. No, he was _Kronos. _I had to remember that.

"Come forward," he said."If you dare."

The crowd of monsters parted. I moved up the stairs, my heart pounding. I was sure somebody would stab me in the back, but they let me pass. I felt my pocket and found my pen waiting. I uncapped it, and

Riptide grew into a sword.

Kronos's weapon appeared in his hands—a six-foot-long scythe, half Celestial bronze, half mortal steel.

Just looking at the thing made my knees turn to Jell-O. But before I could change my mind, I charged.

Time slowed down. I mean _literally _slowed down, because Kronos had that power. I felt like I was moving through syrup. My arms were so heavy, I could barely raise my sword. Kronos smiled, swirling his scythe at normal speed and waiting for me to creep toward my death.

I tried to fight his magic. I concentrated on the sea around me—the source of my power. I'd gotten better at channelling it over the years, but now nothing seemed to happen.

I took another slow step forward. Giants jeered. _Dracaenae _hissed with laughter.

Hey, ocean, I pleaded. _Any day now would be good._

Suddenly there was a wrenching pain in my gut. The entire boat lurched sideways, throwing monsters off their feet. Four thousand gallons of salt water surged out of the swimming pool, dousing me and Kronos and everyone on the deck. The water revitalized me, breaking the time spell, and I lunged forward.

I struck at Kronos, but I was still too slow. I made the mistake of looking at his face—_Luke's face_—a guy who was once my friend. He sliced downward with his scythe. I leaped back, and the evil blade missed by an inch, cutting a gash in the deck right between my feet.

I kicked Kronos in the chest. He stumbled backward, but he was heavier than Luke should've been. It was like kicking a refrigerator.

Kronos swung his scythe again. I intercepted with Riptide, but his strike was so powerful, my blade could only deflect it. The edge of the scythe shaved off my shirtsleeve and grazed my arm. It shouldn't have been a serious cut, but the entire side of my body exploded with pain. I remembered what a sea demon had once said about Kronos's scythe: _Careful, fool. _I wasn't just losing blood. I could feel mystrength, my will, my identity draining away.

I stumbled backward, switched my sword to my left hand, and lunged desperately. My blade should've run him through, but it deflected off his stomach like I was hitting solid marble. There was no way he should've survived that.

Kronos laughed. "A poor performance, Percy Jackson. Luke tells me you were never his match at swordplay."

My vision started to blur. I knew I didn't have much time. "Luke had a big head," I said. "But at least it was _his _head."

"A shame to kill you now," Kronos mused, "before the final plan unfolds. I would love to see the terror in your eyes when you realize how I will destroy Olympus."

"You'll never get this boat to Manhattan." My arm was throbbing. Black spots danced in my vision.

"And why would that be?" Kronos's golden eyes glittered. His face—Luke's face—seemed like a mask, unnatural and lit from behind by some evil power. "Perhaps you are counting on your friend with theexplosives?"

He looked down at the pool and called, "Nakamura!"

A teenage guy in full Greek armor pushed through the crowd. His left eye was covered with a black patch. I knew him, of course: Ethan Nakamura, the son of Nemesis. I'd saved his life in the Labyrinth last summer, and in return, the little punk had helped Kronos come back to life. He had a very frightened look on his face, like an honor student getting detention for the first time. I really wanted to wring his neck. But seeing the frightened look on his face made me feel kind of sorry for him.

He came forward and kneeled on front of Kronos.

"My lord…we…um…could not find the other one…" Ethan murmured. "All we found was a missing lifeboat."

I would have sighed in relief had it not been for the unbearable. With Beckendorf gone, I can detonate the bombs now.

Kronos eyes began to glow like an evening star.

"Did you, perhaps, CHECK THE ENGINE ROOM?"

"I-uh-"

"USELESS PAWN" he growled and slapped Ethan. "I should have you fed to the hellhounds when there were still some on the ship."

Ethan trembled.

"Well, what are you waiting FOR?"

"Yes Kronos…I mean…mother…I mean…my lord" Ethan scrambled off.

He sighed and turned his gaze toward me and gave me a crooked smile.

"No matter, we have the child of the prophecy" Kronos chuckled. "You can't count on friends, Percy Jackson. They will always let you down. Luke learned that lesson the hard way. Now drop your sword and surrender to me, or DIE."

I had no choice. I threw my sword like a javelin at Kronos. It bounced harmlessly off his chest, but it did startle him. I pushed through a crowd of monsters and jumped off the side of the ship—toward the water a hundred feet below. While I was falling, I thought_ it's no or never_. I pressed the button on the watch and began hearing rumbling deep in the ship. Monsters yelled at me from above. A spear sailed past my ear. An arrow pierced my thigh, but I barely had time to register the pain. I plunged into the sea and willed the currents to take me far, far away—a hundred yards, two hundred yards. Just as I was about to black out, I saw The _Prince Andromeda_ burning in colourful lights. And on that note, I blacked out and sank like an anchor to the bottom of the sea.


	4. Chapter 4

At first I was floating in this dark, polluted river. I couldn't shake the feeling that this place seemed very familiar. The trash that floated around seemed as endless as the river itself. I took a closer look at the junk around me and I finally realized where I was, _Styx._ A shiver went down my spine, as a small figure began to approach. For some reason, I knew who it was: Charon. I began to panic. _ I couldn't be dead. There's still the unfulfilled prophecy and my friends at camp who needed me for the war._ As each second passed, Charon got closer and so did my imminent death. I could see the smug look on his face that said: _so your time finally came. _He reached out for me andmy short miserable life began flashing before me. But just as the tip of his fingers were about to touch me, darkness swallowed me. For a moment, I was floating in a dark void. I saw nothing, felt nothing, and heard nothing. Then the scene shifted. A wave of relief washed over me. _I was not dead, yet._ I was on Mount Orthys this time, the palace of the titans. Standing in front of me was Lu-Kronos, a guy in black armor, and another wearing a gold one.

"-a shame he escaped we could have used him well." The dude in black said

"The plan was a long shot anyway. We shouldn't have even bothered with it." The guy in gold responded. He faced Kronos "Shall we proceed with the plan my lord?"

"Well, we can't keep the Olympians now can we?" he wickedly grinned. "You all know what to do."

"Yes my lord." They laughed menacingly. "The gods will never know what hit them"

_That doesn't sound good_.

Kronos sighed "If only I could use my powers to peek into the future yet again. Unfortunately, I have to muster my strength –"

I wanted to listen some more, desperately trying to grab anything that could help us win. But my dream had other plans. My surroundings began to spin and soon enough I was sucked into a whirlpool. I was greeted by a familiar face, Poseidon.

"Dad?"

"Hello, Percy. I do not have much time. Tell Chiron the prophecy is unfolding. It is time he showed you the whole prophecy."

"But-"

"There's no more time to waste. You must wake, NOW."

And on that happy note my dream collapsed. I vaguely heard someone calling my name. When I opened my eyes, I was quickly blinded by a flash of gold.

"Thank the gods!" Annabeth screamed and body slammed me.

She smelled like the lemon shampoo she uses, as usual. I quickly forgot everything else in the world, including my name. I would've felt all mushy inside if my body wasn't really stiff like I'd just been frozen for a week. Of course the tight bear hug didn't help.

"I think you may have broken something." I gasped.

"Oh…sorry" she quickly pushed me away. I might've imagined it but I could've sworn she was blushing.

Her eyes were all red and puffy like she'd been crying for days. I looked around and figured I was at the infirmary of the big house. I was wearing the striped pyjamas I left last summer at my cabin. Then I suddenly remembered.

"Beckendorf!"

"He's fine" Annabeth assured me. "in fact, he was the one who brought you back to camp"

"Oh, that's good to hear"

Suddenly, Annabeth's face went blood red and she punched my arm, really, really hard.

"Ow… what in world was that for?" I rubbed my shoulder.

"_Oh…that's good to hear? _ That's all you have to say after making me-I mean, us think you were about to _die_?" I had no idea she could talk that fast. She blinked back a few tears like she was about to cry some more.

"Sorry" I muttered. "I didn't mean to try and kill myself"

Annabeth's expression softened." I'll go get Chiron and tell him you're up"

She got up and left for the door.

"Ann-"

But she already got out. I was just about to tell her about Rachel and i. You know, the "_we're a couple now and I hope she could be nice to her" _speech that I should've been working on. I groaned. A war of astronomical scale was a few days away and here I am worrying about girl problems. Why couldn't they just get along like giggling school girls? Sure it can be annoying, but it's better than having stare downs every time they meet. It's not like they're very different. I'll never understand girls. My thoughts were interrupted when Chiron rolled in.

"Ah…Percy, nice to see you're all right. I can see the healing magic has worked its wonders" He said in his usual

"Thanks. Um…Chiron, I had this dream-" so I went on telling him about my vivid dreams. I skipped the part about being in Styx since it still kind of freaks me out. When I finished, he'd put on his pinochle face and it was really hard to read his expression.

"Alright" he finally spoke. "Go find Annabeth when you feel you're ready"

He began wheeling himself out but he suddnely stopped and turned to me again.

"Oh, and try not to be so hard on her. She was really shaken up, my boy. The last time she acted that way was when you went missing after Mount St. Helens "

My face went hot. That was where I got my first kiss.

"Oh.."

Chiron chuckled. "She's a nice girl Percy. Be sure to treat her well."

Something about the way he said that made me think what he actually meant was _I don't care who you are but if you hurt Annabeth, Kronos is the least of your problems, _which of course was definitely not on my to-do-list.

"And Percy"

"Yeah?" I sad still trying to get over Chiron's threat.

"You might want to call your mom. She knew way before we did that you were very close to death. I don't know how she found out but you better IM her."

"Thanks for the heads up." Chiron smiled and left me alone again.

I got up and changed to regular camp clothes. I got a gold drachma and made a rainbow from where my fountain once stood.

"_Oh, Iris goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering_, Sally Jackson, Manhattan."

The rainbow shimmered and I saw my mom who'd looked like she'd aged twenty years in the last twenty-four hours.

I took a deep breath and got ready for the worst "Hey mom"

I tried to put on my best _please don't ground me smile._ But it didn't really help much. I still had to listen to an hour of _Percy Jackson you are in so much trouble blah blah. _When she finally finished, she took a deep breath.

"Well I'm glad you're fine"

"Yeah me too" I smiled. Then the doorbell rang.

"I'd better get that, would you hold for a moment, dear?"

I heard the door open and a few whispers. Then, out of nowhere, Rachel popped out.

"Surprise!"

I chuckled. "Whoa, Rachel what are you doing at my house?"

Rachel raised her eyebrow. "Can't a girlfriend go to his boyfriend's house for no reason?"

"Well, yeah…but I'm not there so there's-"

"Oh don't get too full of yourself Jackson! I'm not here to see you. I'm here to listen to your mom tell your mom tell me about how cute you looked in the bathtub when you were a baby" I could tell she was resisting to laugh.

"Oh no she wouldn't" I tensed.

"Oh yes she would" my mom came in chuckling.

"Mom!"

They both giggled, which was nice to see.

"Anyway" my face still as red as a tomato "Mom, how'd you know I was in trouble?"

"Ask Rachel, she's the one that told me"

I turned to Rachel who was now turning red

"I saw it in a dream"

"Oh so you dream about me?" I said trying not to look amused

"It's not what you think!" she exasperated "I've been having these weird dreams lately. Ever since-" she faltered. I didn't get to hear what she was about to say but she was interrupted when Paul closed the door and said "Sally, I'm home"

"I'd better go meet him" my mom said

"So About these dreams" I started.

"Gosh, gee look at the time I gotta go now Perce. Still got a thing going on downtown." She blew me a kiss and just as she was about to wave at the mist. "I can't wait for our next date Percy" she smiled and blew me another kiss and the mist dissipated. It'd all happened so fast I was still trying to figure out what happened the last ten seconds. Then I heard something break behind me. When I turned, I saw Annabeth standing there with her fist clenched and gave a angry face that would've drove the three furies back to the underworld.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N all rights to rick riordan**

**Annabeth**

As I went to find Chiron, I cannot begin to describe how relieved I was when Seaweed brain finally woke up. I could literally feel _the weight of the sky had been lifted from my shoulders _(believe me when I say, I know how that feels). I was probably grinning like a lunatic and skipping around like some giddy Aphrodite girl. But I didn't care. I was just glad Percy was back with us again and not making dinner plans with Hades. When I saw Beckendorf carrying his lifeless body to the big house, my heart was shattered to a million pieces. Seeing him so close to death really got me thinking about us. I don't know what I would've done if he- _gods I can't even bear the thought_. I'd never realized how important he was to me. I guess I should really tell him how I really feel. But then again, what about Luke? _Agh why does everything have to be so complicated._ My thoughts were interrupted by Chiron's voice, which was giving a lecture about archery.

"-take a deep breath and focus on your target. Exhale when you release." Sure enough it was direct hit (**A/N sorry I don't know anything about archery**).

He was in full centaur form and his beard was just recently trimmed. Today, he was wearing a shirt that said _I bet my horse is faster than yours._ He didn't notice I was standing right beside.

"Chiron" I called

He turned as if surprised to hear my voice.

"Annabeth, I thought you said you wouldn't leave Percy's bedside?"

My face suddenly felt hot "He's awake"

His expression was hard to read until he finally smiled.

"That's excellent news! Could you take over for me so I can check on him? The class doesn't end for half an hour"

I wanted to say _no, get someone else to do it_. After what had happened, I wasn't too eager to stay away from Percy. I already had enough of that for the school year. But then I realized, the Apollo campers were on a mission, no one else with magical medical experience could check if Percy's alright. So I reluctantly agreed and he went off to the big house.

Honestly, it was the longest half hour I ever felt. When the half hour finally came, I quickly yelled "CLASS DISMISSED" and bolted for the Big House. I was probably running faster than wood nymphs because everything was a blur. I vaguely recalled climbing steps, Chiron on wheelchair form reading reports, a decapitated leopard snarling at me. I ignored everything. I just wanted to be with Percy again. _Gods what's wrong with me?_ When I got to the infirmary, I was surprised to see an empty bunk instead of a sick Seaweed Brain. Just as I was about to wonder where he was, Chiron rolled in.

"Ahh Annabeth, how did the campers do?"

"Fine. Um, where's Percy?" I said in a hurry.

Chiron chuckled. "He's at his cabin sending his mom an _iris_ message"

"Oh, thanks. Bye"

I was halfway to the door when Chiron called "Hold on there, Annabeth. I need you to give this to Percy"

He handed me a small bottle with a scroll tucked in it.

"What's this, a message from a castaway?" I asked.

"It's the prophecy, child. After your…um…little incident with the last container, we had to improvise"

"Oh…right, sorry about that" I made an awkward smile. "So the gods have finally decided it's time?"

"I'm afraid so." His expression was grim. "You know what to do."

I nodded and went off to Percy's cabin.

Chiron and I had been preparing for this day ever since we returned the lightning bolt to Zeus. He insisted that I should be with Percy when he reads the prophecy, partially because I haven't seen the whole thing and partially to keep him from freaking out.

Before I knew it I was at the doorstep of cabin three. Since Seaweed Brain was the only person currently in the Poseidon cabin, I decided to let myself in. I was planning on sneaking up but then I heard something that pretty much ruined my life.

"I can't wait for our next date Percy" she smiled and blew him a kiss and the mist dissipated.

My arms suddenly went so numb that I dropped the _stupid_ bottle.

**Percy**

_I can't wait for our next date Percy" she smiled and blew me another kiss and the mist dissipated._

I silently gulped and prayed she hadn't heard my little conversation with my girlfriend.

"Hi Annabeth" I tried a smile.

"Who were you talking to?" she demanded.

"Um...my mom? I was just telling her I'm fine" I partially lied, hoping she would buy it. Unfortunately for me, Annabeth's not an idiot like me.

"Since when does your mom have frizzy red hair and looks forward to your next _date?_" she growled but tried to control herself from strangling me.

Okay now would be a good time for plan B, if I had one. Unfortunately I don't so I have no other choice but to come clean.

"Right… about that." I started. "You remember Rachel right?"

"How could I forget that _mortal _girl?" she roared.

I'd never seen her this mad before, she actually looks kinda cute. I took every ounce of my will power to resist the urge to smile.

"Yeah…so…we're…um kinda… dating" I replied with the lowest possible volume.

"WHAT!" she screamed.

"I can't believe-" she began scolding me. I honestly couldn't make out the rest of her lecture. I'm sure there's something about me being stupid and something about bad timing.

"-What do you see in that tree hugging hippie anyway?" She ended.

Okay that pretty much ticked me off.

"That tree hugging-hippie happens to b my girlfriend and I would really appreciate it if you were a little nicer to her"

"Oh, I'll be nice to her. Right after I send her to Tartarus."

"Ok, what is with you? What do you have against Rachel that's so bad?"

"Agh! You- She's a stupid _mortal_" She screamed.

"Well it's better than hosting the lord of the titans!" I immediately guilty saying that and the slap on my face made me regret it even more.

"Annabeth-"

"Just go on you stupid vacation" her eyes were really red and she stormed out of my cabin.

"Well that went well" I muttered to myself.

**A/N how am I doing so far? Is it any good? Could use some feedback**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Sorry it took so long, but here it is. Hope it doesn't disappoint **** oh and I don't own anything in this story, well except for the different plot**

"_Just go on you stupid vacation" I muttered._

**Annabeth**

As I stormed out of Percy's cabin with tears in my eyes, I found a small group of campers had just formed outside. Most probably wondering what I was doing there. Under different situations, I'd probably be embarrassed. But right now, I'm just really mad at Percy. Mad at how oblivious he was. (_Seriously, the kiss at Mt. St. Helens was a dead giveaway!)_ Mad that he even used Luke to win the argument. He of all people knew about our history. After all the stories I've shared with him, he should know how much I owed Luke. How could he even say such a thing? I trusted him with that secret, not even my half-siblings or family know the whole story about Luke, Thalia, and I. He was the first one I let in on the loop. How could he use that against me? How could he even compare Luke with that stupid mortal girl? Luke is…Ugh! I really need to blow off some steam. I marched straight into my cabin to grab my sword and Daedalus' laptop.

It was early in the afternoon. Odds are my cabin will be full of people working on design projects. For those of you non-Athena campers, this is probably the worst time for you to come into our cabin. The whole cabin is a mess. Everything we did in the morning for cabin inspection, completely undone. Books and papers are scattered everywhere. My cabin mates would probably be busy studying, designing or sketching new architectural designs or studying maps and various battle strategies used in ancient Greece. In other words it means no matter who you are, unless you're Athena herself or dreadful spider, you will be ignored. This was one of the things I liked about my cabin, we respect each other's' personal space. So when I got my laptop and sword, no one even bothered to look up.

Minutes later, I was at a new section of the sword arena. I suppose I should explain.

Ever since the battle of the labyrinth, Chiron had the sword arena upgraded. He had the Athena and Hephaestus cabin install a special training room that would further hone our skills in battle. It's kind of like the danger room of the X-men but ours didn't use holograms or other super high-tech stuff. Since Half-bloods don't exactly blend well with technology, we decided to make two ways to operate it. The first one makes use of old fashioned levers and pulleys that activates a specific trap or obstacle. Since it wasn't exactly state of the art, whenever someone wants to use it they better have someone else with them to work behind the scenes pulling the strings. Something I currently do not have the luxury of.

Thankfully, there was a second way to operate the room. A more advanced option, one that requires an advanced laptop like mine. When I plugged the laptop into the controls, a new app popped up. I began setting a difficult course for me. A course that involved flaming arrows, an advanced automaton (They're self-repairing according to Beckendorf), and a ridiculous picture of Percy. I set a thirty second countdown and made my way to the middle of the room. As the pre-recorded voice of Chiron counted down, I got into battle position.

The moment recorded Chiron said "_Go",_ two automatic crossbows sprang from the walls and they rained flaming arrow. Thanks to my ADHD, everything went into slow motion. I dodged the first and second arrow with ease and sliced the third with little difficulty. When the fourth arrow came, a warrior automaton surprised me when it sprang out of nowhere. With a quick step to the left and swing of my sword, I dodged the flaming arrow and parried its sword I was temporarily distracted when I saw the automaton I'd designed in full action. I'll keep the explanation simple. The automaton looked sort of looks like the robots in Irobot, except the ones I designed had a screen for a face, a softer body and it wore full Greek battle armor along with a celestial bronze sword.

I have to say, hours of sketching, designing, and programming paid off. It moved exactly like a human would. I can't really take credit for its movements. To be exact, it was patterned from Daedalus' fighting style since he'd stored it in his laptop for some reason.

Our swords exchanged blows as flaming arrows flew around us. I matched the automaton's strike, blow for blow. I'll admit it was really hard to avoid the flaming arrows and defend myself at the same time. The automaton was fighting well, too well actually. I made a quick assessment of our situation. The automaton had the advantage of never tiring, it could go all day. I, on the other, was already starting to feel worn out. But I did have two advantages. One I had a more creative mind and two, I had Percy's picture plastered on its face that kept me going no matter what.

After what seemed like hours of endless sword clashing the inevitable happened. I'd made a small mistake of raising my sword too high. The automaton took full advantage of it and knocked me across the room. I knew I'd reached my limit. My body was drenched in sweat and the automaton was starting to overpower me. It was only a matter of time before I fall.

But I couldn't have that. I had far too much pride to be beaten by a robot, especially when I'd been pretending to fight Seaweed brain all this time. I focused on the thought of him kissing that mortal girl. That gave me a new surge of energy like no other. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I heard the automaton advancing and flaming arrows heading my way, I visualized my plan in action.

First, I would charge and meet him head on. Once I am close enough, I'll do a sliding _matrix _manoeuvre to dodge the arrows and the sword. I'll position my sword in such a way that it would cut the automaton's knee cap. Then I'll stab my sword on the ground and use it to rapidly change my directions. Then, while the automaton tries to repair itself, I'll launch myself towards the automaton use my dagger to stab it repeatedly. It may not be the best plan but it'll surely quench my anger.

Once I opened my eyes, everything was a blur. In about thirty seconds, my plan had worked perfectly. The training session was over and I was sitting on top of the automaton and stabbing it like a lunatic.

"Stupid…Idiot…" I muttered under my breath.

Suddenly, someone was applauding from behind. My instincts took over. I hastily turned and threw my dagger. Thank the gods My dagger narrowly missed Clarisse's face. Normally, people would've been freaked out. But not the daughter of Ares, she just smirked like it was a regular greeting.

"Rough day?" She asked as she trudged forward.

"Leave me alone, Clarisse"

"Sorry, I have my orders"

"Wha-"

Before I could even protest she picked me up and slung me on her shoulder.

"CLARISSE! WHAT IN THE NAME OF OLYMPUS ARE YOU DOING?" I screamed and squirmed.

"Not gonna happen, wise girl. Someone wants to have a word with you"

I continued to squirm and struggle. But Clarisse had an iron grip, it was rather impossible to break free. Then I smelled it, the smell of designer perfume. The cabin I despised the most, Cabin 10: Aphrodite.

******line break******

"_Well that went well" I muttered to myself._

**Percy**

I paced around my room regretting what I said. I just wish I could turn back the clock I never should've said what I said to Annabeth about Luke. It wasn't fair. As I paced around thinking of the perfect of apologizing, I heard a _crack_ sound. I lifted my foot and found shattered glass with a small scroll neatly rolled together. I carefully removed the shards and unfurled the scroll. I quickly realized what it was: _the great prophecy._

_A half-blood of the eldest gods_

_shall reach sixteen against all odds_

_And see the world in endless sleep_

_The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap_

_A single choice shall end his days_

_Olympus to preserve or raze_

I completely froze as I read the last line of the prophecy. All thoughts suddenly drained out of my head. Only the last few lines lingered, especially _a single choice shall end his days._ All this time, after all I've been to, I'd still end up dying. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a figure burst out of the shadows.

"'sup Percy" Nico grinned.

"Hey, Nico" I glumly replied and I shoved the prophecy into my pocket.

He raised his eyebrow, questioning my actions. But I gave him an expression that said _drop it_.

"So about my offer?"

**A/N So this is the next chapter, hope you guys liked it. As to the question will there be Percabeth, just wait and see **** Thanks for reading and feel free to comment about it **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N **hi, I just want to thank you all for your continuous support. I' shall do my best to keep the story interesting and keep the characters in character. Without further ado here's the next chapter. Hope you'll like it.

"_So about my offer?"_

**Percy**

"Which one?" I gave him a very confused look. I honestly had no idea what he was talking about. Seriously, he always pops up out f nowhere and makes strange offers. I seem to recall his last offer had something to do with a jar of _jellybeans_ and a lifetime supply of chew toys for my dog, Mrs O'Leary_._

He narrowed his eyes "you know-the one that involves you take a swim in the underworld!"

I suddenly recalled the night of my fifteenth birthday. He'd come to visit and eat some of my blue cake. He'd told me about what he suspected Luke did to make his skin seem like iron. He went on and said we could do the same for me. I know what you're thinking: _why pass a chance to be invincible?_ Well for starters, the proper _path_ to it is unclear and unknown. And to top it off, I might get _disintegrated!_

"Oh that one…" I stuttered. "Can it wait a-"

"What!" He suddenly snapped. "I've already given you more than time. How could you still not give me an answer! I really need-"

His voice trailed off but I was more surprised by his sudden outburst. He seemed to have realised had happened.

"Sorry about that. It's just…I had another dead end."

"Oh…" I guess I could understand why he felt upset. For the past year, Nico had been trying to piece his past back together. Usually a quick trip to a shrink would do the trick but things are _little_ more complicated when you're a demigod.

"Please, Percy. For once let me get something right."

_Wow, he's really persistent_! He looked at me pleadingly. It was really hard to turn him down, especially since I still felt I owed him for his sister. So I reluctantly agreed

"Alright, but I better tell-"

"NO!" he cried. "-I mean you can't let anyone know about this. The other gods might try and stop you. "

"What? Why?"

"If you were in their shoes, how would you like it if every hero was _invincible?_ Why do you think Achilles was the only invincible hero for the past three thousand years?"

I saw his point. "But I can't just leave all of a sudden. People will come looking for me. _Hades_, they might think I got captured or something"

"Leave a note then. Just don't tell _them_ about this trip"

It was either this or getting my soul reaped. I scoured my cabin for a pen and paper. I scribble something down, something that'll probably make Annabeth really hate me.

"That's the best you can cook up?" Nico raised his brow.

******line break******

_The cabin I despised the most, Cabin 10: Aphrodite._

**Annabeth**

When I'd realised where Clarisse was taking me, I doubled my efforts to escape. I thrashed and kicked, no longer caring if I hurt Clarisse in the process. I'd cursed under my breath and made several threats. But being a child of Ares, she had the uncanny ability of being _stubborn_.

Not long after, I observed my surroundings were already all plush and pink. This is the first time I'd truly gone into the Aphrodite cabin. On inspections, I'd just take a quick peek from their porch and give them a five out of five. I'd never really dared come in here, even if Silena and I got along. At the end of the day, Silena's still an Aphrodite camper. And ever since the dawn of time, they'd been trying to give daughters of Athena a _makeover. _I'd managed to give them the slip for the last _nine _years. But things weren't looking too good for me right now. If I want to come out of here _untouched_ I'd better come up with a plan _fast._

I stopped struggling since it seemed pointless. I made a quick scan and began cooking up an escape plan.

The first thing I observed was their bunks were all positioned to the far left of the cabin. Directly across each bunk was a beautifully carved nightstand of varying colors. Each nightstand had a mirror and a unique assortment of make-up, perfumes, and hair products (which were all neatly arranged by height, color, or purpose). I assume the interior was designed this way so that once they wake up the first thing they see are themselves, _typical._

Beside each bunk, there was a small square indentation on the floor with circular handles that seemed like trapdoors. I'm guessing those are secret passages to their individual closets since I can't seem to find it anywhere in the cabin.

Clarisse brought me to the far end of the cabin. I couldn't see what was happening upfront but I heard her knock on a door. The door swung open and we went right in. a moment later the door was shut and darkness engulfed me.

Everything after that happened so fast. First I felt getting thrown into a soft and cushy chair. Then, I felt a leather strap around my hands and feet gradually tightening itself. This made my escape a little more difficult than I'd originally anticipated. I tried breaking free but at each attempt the bonds seem to grow tighter. A spot light came on directly above me, kind of like the ones we see in movies with interrogation scenes.

"You can forget about escaping" a familiar voice came from my left.

"Silena, I swear of you _even put _a drop of lipstick on me-"

"Relax wise girl, we just want to talk" Clarisse cut me off.

"Since when does talking involve a dark room and a tie one person to a chair?"

They both ignored. Silena dragged a chair and sat in front of me.

"So tell me Annabeth, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing" I snapped "Now let me go!"

"I thought you'd say that" she gave me a mischievous smile. She got up and all the lights went on. She brought out a small pink toolbox and ruffled through its contents.

"Clarisse, how do you think Annabeth will look with purple lipstick?"

"Try the pink one" she suggested.

A shiver went down my spine. I'd rather face an army of spiders than get a _makeover_. I tried struggling out of my bonds again but it seemed hopeless. So I caved.

"Okay fine! What do you want know?"

Silena smirked and sat back down.

"Tell me what was all the yelling at Percy's cabin about."

I bit my lip "You want the long version or the short one?"

"Either"

"He…got a girlfriend" I sighed

Clarisse and Silena suddenly burst out laughing.

"It's not a _joke_!" I cried.

Silena managed to get hold of herself "oh we believe you. It's just we never thought we'd see the day Annabeth Chase getting _jealous_"

"I am not _jealous_!" I cried "What could I ever see in that stupid Seaweed brain!"

"Denial's the clincher!" Clarisse bellowed and they continued laughing. I felt a surge of mixed emotions. First I blushed because I knew they were right. Then, I felt angry about getting mocked like this. But I did my best to keep it together. I gave them my best poker face and wished I could get this over with. I'll just have to find a way to get _even_ with them.

"So do you know what she's like?"

"She's a _gorgon_!"

"Let's start with something simpler" Clarisse suggested "Is she from camp?"

"No, she's just a _mortal_"

"Would it happen to be that Rachel girl who helped you last summer?"

I just looked away and didn't say anything, which probably answered their questions pretty well.

"Oh my gods!" Silena squealed "I've seen her picture before. I can understand why you're jealous, Annie. She and Percy make a _cute_ couple!"

She went on rambling and I gave her a death glare. Clarisse nudged her "uh, Silena, we're supposed to be on the princess's side remember?"

"Of course we are! I'm just assessing the competition." She reasoned.

"Hold on" I demanded "Who said I need your help-"

"You don't have a choice" Clarisse cut me off.

"Now, let's get started" Silena said excitedly. "I want you to tell me _everything_ you know about the other girl"

I sighed and realised this was going to be a _long_ day.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Hello, I'm back **** Sorry this update took longer, been busy plotting and scheming to keep you guys glued to this story (insert maniacal laugh). But seriously though, I hope you guys are still enjoying it. So I guess I should say everything belongs to Rick Riordan and enjoy.**

**Annabeth**

I burst out of cabin 10 as fast as I could. By some miracle, I got out of the Aphrodite cabin without getting a spot of make up on me. When I got to cabin 6, my bunkmates were already sitting on their bed waiting for me to come and lead them out.

"6" I called "fall in"

As I led the Athena cabin to the dinning pavilion, I couldn't help recalling Silena's final words to me.

_Flashback_

_Clarisse left not long after, she said she had to meet Chris for sword practice. So she left me alone with Silena who forced me to share every single detail about me and Percy. After I filled Silena on what she wanted to know, she let me loose from my bonds and paced around for a few minutes. _

"_Alright Annabeth, here's what you have to do." Silena instructed. "First, you and Percy need to talk. Let him say what he has to say and try to avoid-"_

"_What!" I complained. "Why am I the one who needs to do the avoiding? He's the one who crossed the line, not me!"_

"_I know he did, but screaming at him every time isn't going to solve anything. Besides you need to share some of the blame as well you know."_

"_What're you talking about?"_

"_You're as oblivious as Percy!"Silena sighed "I suppose I should tell you since you'll never realize it. Why do you think Percy dislikes Luke?"_

"_Because he tried to kill him" I answered quickly "But he's under Kronos's influence. Why can't he understand that?"_

"_Maybe it's because he's jealous"_

"_What? But that's…it's not like…it's ridiculous!"_

"_Is it, Annabeth? Think about it, whenever Luke's mentioned you two argue. Have you even seen the look on your face when you talk about Luke? It's as if you're willing to toss Percy into Tartarus if it meant saving Luke."_

"_That's not true!" I cried._

_She raised her hands in surrender "I call it like I see it"_

_Does he really feel that way? Probably, we hardly talked after Luke hosted Kronos. Silena had a point. I can't believe I, a daughter of Athena, lost an argument to a daughter of Aphrodite. If word gets out I'll never hear the end of it!_

"_So what do I do?" I asked._

"_For now, you should try to avoid seeing him. Better let the guilt thing sink really deep. Eventually he'll corner you and apologize. When he does, you should apologize for over-reacting as well and try explaining Luke to Percy without getting mad, I'm sure he'll understand." She continued "Bottom line: you guys need to make up. After that, you need to stop hanging out with Percy, keep your distance."_

"_Hold on" I interrupted "let me get this straight, for him to actually realize I like him I need to push him away? Wow that makes PERFECT sense!" I mused sarcastically. _

"_Oh it does make perfect sense" Silena countered. "You see, oblivious people will only realize what's important once they've lost it. Once you stop hanging out with him, he should realize how much he needs you."_

"_He should? That's reassuring."_

"_Well…" she looked at me helplessly. "I can't really say what my mom has planned for you guys. She said she wanted to make things very interesting for you and Percy."_

"_Great." I grumbled "Why did it have to be me?"_

_Before she could say anything else, the conchhorn blew signalling it was almost time for dinner._

"_You better get out of here before my siblings get back. They'd never let you get out of here without a makeover."_

_I didn't need to be told twice so I bolted for the exit as fast as I could_

_End of flashback_

I was jolted back to reality with Malcolm's voice.

"Annabeth!" Malcolm shook my arm.

"What?" I responded a little too loudly

"It's our turn to burn offerings."

"Oh right" I muttered" come on guys"

I grabbed my plate and led my cabin down the center of the dinning pavilion. I tossed a huge T-bone steak into the fire and muttered a prayer to my mom, asking her for her guidance.

As we feast upon dinner, I found myself gazing towards the Poseidon table. Surprisingly, it was empty. I turned my gaze to the bonfire, hoping to find Percy burning offerings. But much to my disappointment he wasn't there. Since he was nowhere in sight, I assumed he was just late, which was a first for dinner. So I fixed my gaze on the entrance of the dining pavilion. Campers and satyrs came and went but not Percy. Before I knew it dinner was over and there was still no sign of him. Something is definitely wrong. It's not like him to miss dinner. I pondered on whether I should check his cabin or not. I know Silena advised me to avoid him but Percy _never _misses dinner. Something was definitely up. After a brief argument in my head, my curiosity won me over. As I headed out of the dining pavilion, Chiron stomped his hoof.

"Campers" he called "I'm afraid I must cancel tonight's bonfire"

There were cries of protests all around. But the most audible ones came from the Apollo campers. You couldn't really blame them. It was one of the moments they could actually show off at camp. Chiron stomped his hoof again and the protests stopped.

"I know it is a nightly tradition but there are urgent matters I need to discuss with the senior counsellor." Chiron announced

"The senior counsellors must meet me at the big house once they've sent their respective cabin back. This is a very important meeting, _everyone_ involved must be present."

And on that note, he left us alone. Thanks to Chiron's little escapade, I couldn't check on Percy's cabin anymore. My cabin had already finished their dinner and being the head counsellor it was my job to lead my cabin in and out every activity. Not that I don't like it, it just gets in the way sometimes.

I left Malcolm in charge while I attended the meeting. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what the meeting is going to be about. Obviously we are going to discuss the inevitable attack of the titans. We've postponed its discussion for far too long already. It's high time we started planning what to do when the battle begins.

We gathered around the Ping-Pong table of the rec room. Since we didn't have a war room, it had become the camp's informal headquarters for war councils. _I should probably suggest we build one if we survive._

Anyway, everyone was surprisingly quiet, even Travis. Normally, these meetings were shouting matches with Travis leading the party. But right now, the whole place felt like a graveyard. Maybe everyone'd just arrived or no one was in the mood for jokes or pranks. I leaning more on the first.

A few seconds after I took my seat Chiron came rolling in on his wheelchair. We all stood to acknowledge his presence.

"Is everyone here?" he asked.

"Everyone except Percy, " said Michael Yew of Apollo

I made a quick scan around the room and realized he was right. _Okay something is definitely up_.

"He missed dinner." Beckedorf said

"Will someone please got get Percy so that we may start the war council?" Chiron asked

I was about to volunteer but Silena glared at me and nudged Clarisse.

"I'll go get _prissy_" she said

Waiting for her felt like an eternity. _Seriously, how long does it take for someone to go to cabins and grab a Seaweed Brain?_ My fellow counsellors began stirring from all the boredom. Chiron was scratching his beard, the way he always does when he's worried. Silena was patching up her make up. Travis was playing _go fish _with Michael. I'd go on with what everyone else was doing but it seems pointless seeing that Clarisse had already returned. Only, no one was with her. She was panting really hard like she just ran a marathon. On her right hand she clutched a bunch of papers.

"He's gone!"

"What?" I asked

"I said 'he's gone'. He left a note."

She handed us the prophecy and the note. It took a while for me to decipher, thanks to my dyslexia. But when I did it read something like this: _need some time to think, gone to St. Thomas. I promise I'll return when the time comes._

"That Jerk!" I cried

"Now, Annabeth we knew this would happen. That's why I sent you to give him the prophecy." Chiron said.

A wave of guilt washed over me as I came to realize I hadn't been there when Percy read the prophecy. I should've been there cushioning the blow. Now that mortal girl gets the chance of the lifetime!

"So what now?" someone asked

"We leave him alone" Chiron answered. "At least until the time comes. Now we have other matters to discuss. The Prophecy….."

**Hope you guys liked it. I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible. **

amycahill57 : I'm not sure if I can do that with what I have in mind  
kat404 : you're veryconsistent  
EpicDinosaur123 : I hope you're still reading and haven't been overdosed by energy drinks and tea

jess: I hope I kept the characters in character

Anonymous : I don't know who you are haha but I also hope you're still reading

PercyJHungerGames98: thanks

ReadingBookGirl : I'll try it in the next chapter


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N I promised you guys this new chapter would be up son so here it is. This chapter is basically a Perachel. Hope you guys don't mind. Try to enjoy itand thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. You guys are AWESOME! Oh, and all rights to Rick Riordan.**

**Percy**

"Percy," she said, "I give you my blessing."

I didn't feel any different. No magic glow lit the kitchen or anything.

"Percy," my mom said. "If you…if you're seriously going through with this. You might want to let Rachel know about this."

My face suddenly felt really hot.

My mom seemed to notice and said" I don't mean to pry but she is your _girlfriend._"

"But mom, that'll only make her worry."

"She has a right to know. How do you think she'll feel when she's the last person to find out? Besides, you need to tell her you can't go to St. Thomas with her tomorrow."

I mentally smacked myself. I used her trip as an excuse, I should've told her just in case someone from camp called her.I can't believe I'd made such a big slip-up! That's why I leave the planning to Annabeth, who at this very moment probably wants to skin me alive for doing this. Thank goodness nobody at camp knew how to get in touch with Rachel. Well, except maybe Annabeth. She's very resourceful but I sincerely doubt she'd do it. Besides, if she did they'd already had tracked us down by now. Regardless, I still have to call Rachel and tell her about it, just in case.

I absentmindedly made my way out of the kitchen. Since I'd forgotten Mrs O' Leary was huge, I slammed into a wall of fur and stumbled backwards. Nico began cracking up and pretty soon my mom and Paul joined him

"Um mom, can I borrow your cell phone for a second? I don't think I can make the call in our living room" I motioned towards Mrs O' Leary, who was so big she occupied the whole living room.

"Sure, Percy" She said while rummaging through her purse.

I stood at the far end of the kitchen to give myself some privacy. _Here goes _I thought and I punched in Rachel's number. She wrote it on my arm last summer, somehow I'd mysteriously memorized it. My heart raced as each ring passed. I snuck glance over to our dining table and saw Nico grimly shaking his head while talking to Paul and Mom.

After about the tenth ring, Rachel answered "Hello."

"Hey Rachel" I started happily. "It's me"

"Oh, Percy…it's you" she stammered glumly like she didn't know what to say. I'm not an expert in reading people's emotion, especially over the phone. But something in her voice made me think there was something wrong.

"Hey, are you all right?" I asked. "You don't sound so happy to hear from me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, no, it's not that. It's just…"she sighed "it's my dad"

"Oh…" her family was always a touchy subject so we rarely talked about it. But unlike a certain someone with blonde hair, at least she stayed calm whenever the topic comes up! Okay why do I keep comparing Rachel and Annabeth? I really got to stop doing that.

"Is he giving you a hard time?" I asked

She snorted "I guess you could say that."

"Why? What'd he do this time?" I was expecting her to say something like. _He destroyed Niagara Falls._

She sighed again "He put me under _house arrest_."

"What? You've got to be kidding me."

"Does it sound like I'm kidding" her tone was very serious. She said like: _ask me that again and I'll kill you._

"Forget I said that. What happened?"

"Well, it all started with him cancelling the trip to St. Thomas because his biggest deal went sour. Honestly, I was very happy he cancelled it. I didn't like it when he did nice things just to get me to do what he wanted." She paused to catch her breath for a second and continued "Unfortunately, he caught me smirking and we started arguing. He got mad. He said since the diplomatic approach didn't work he was going to force me to it. So he decided to lock me in my room, I won't be allowed to go out until I agree to go to that stupid school. Anyway, I tried sneaking out but there's more security here than Fort Knox."

"That sucks" I surmised. I really wanted to say something to cheer her up but I didn't know how. Her life was like a living _soap opera_. Wait a minute, my mom and Paul recently got addicted to that stuff. They were always giving pretty good advice to the television. So I just imagined they'd say Rachel if they were watching her on TV. "Well, he's probably just doing what he thinks is best for you."

"Since when is locking someone in the top floor of skyscraper best for someone? And aren't you supposed to be on _my _side?" she protested

"Hey, I'm just trying to be the voice of reason here." I started. "Did you actually consider if your dad was actually looking forward to this trip? If that's the case, how do you think he felt when he saw you smirking? How would you feel if the one irreplaceable thing you had in the world hated you? "

"Well…when you put it that way. I guess he'd feel devastated." She mumbled "I hate it when you're right."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that doesn't happen a lot."

For the first time through our phone conversation she actually laughed. It was really nice to hear since it meant my advice actually made sense.

"Try apologizing to him, maybe he'll soften up. And if he still insist on you going to that prep school maybe you could just cut a deal with him. He is a businessman after all."

"Wow, since when did you become such an expert in father-daughter relationships?"

"I had some practice. Annabeth also has a rocky relationship with her dad."

Okay, that was a stupid thing to say.

"Oh…" I could tell from her voice she wasn't happy about my last statement. Thankfully, she changed the topic. "So, um, why'd you really call me?"

I gulped.

On the bright side, I don't have to tell her I'm not going to St. Thomas with her anymore. Now I just have to explain why I'm going to the _land of the dead_.

"Well… you see…I'm going to be gone for a day or two?"

"Gone? What do you mean gone? Where are you going?"

"Um, Nico has this plan you see." I reluctantly told her about Nico's plan.

"What? No! Don't do it, Percy. It's too dangerous! You might never come back."

"Rachel I have to do this. It's the only way I can survive Kronos. Besides, I've been to the Underworld before and I made it back out fine"

"That's like saying you went through a mine field and didn't blow up so you want to try again. Do you really want to die so bad you deliver yourself to the _underworld?_ Why does it have to be you? Why can't someone else do it? I can't-" her voice broke from there and she began crying.

Well that escalated quickly

"Rachel, listen to me. I promise you I won't die when I go down there. I'll beat Kronos. I'm doing this so that we can still have a tomorrow to look forward to. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I've brought you nothing but trouble."

"Don't say that! Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me" she sniffed. "Be careful in-"

"Hello" I called. "Rachel"

But the line was already dead. I tried redialling her number but it went straight to voicemail. I would've dialled a thousand times more if Nico hadn't stopped me.

He looked at me more anxious than ever. "It's time."

**A/N Hope you guys liked it. How's my grammar so far? And Please, please review :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N before we start with anything let's pray for those poor children that were taken from the world by a madman.**

**A/N Ouch, only one review. Was the last chapter really that bad? Anyway, sorry this took so long, I lost track of the date.**

**Third Person**

The sky was dark and stormy as it signalled something dark and dangerous was coming. It would only be a few hours away from dawn. And the entire luxury condo of William Dare was having a goodnight's sleep. Everyone except, Rachel Dare who had been tossing and turning all night from the disturbing dreams she was having. Recently, these dreams came on a nightly basis and every night it was something different. Yesterday, it was a glimpse of Luke's past. Today, it was a glimpse of the not so distant future.

She saw a future where the titans managed to destroy Olympus and Hades, the last standing Olympian, battled Kronos and whatever remained of his monster army. How she knew all this, she had no idea. But she shuddered as she saw the world lay in ruin. The world was nothing but a barren wasteland now. One would easily mistake it with the planet mars now. Monsters and ghosts emerged here and there, battling for a pointless cause. She wondered to herself _how did this happen?_

As if sensing her question, her dream vision carried her into the underworld, which looked a lot better than the land of the living. She flew straight into Hade's palace and down to a chamber that looked like a dungeon. Inside was a man, who was pale and thin that he could've passed himself off as one of the skeleton guards outside. She wondered who this man was and what he had to with this dream. When the man looked up, she lost her breath as she realised who it was. Those eyes could only belong to one person.

Suddenly, her surroundings swirled uncontrollably. She felt the dark abyss swallow just like every night. She tried to scream but her voice betrayed her like always. Before she woke a loud female voice boomed "This is what will come to past if you do not interfere."

And just before she woke her dream flashed the skinny man one last time. She shot out of her bed and screamed "PERCY!"

**Annabeth**

Ever since the last senior counsellor meeting, things around camp had taken a turn for the worst. Monster attacks became more frequent, more campers got injured from fighting, and our daily activities were scraped. But the worst news of all was Typhon's escape. Not that it wasn't inevitable, we were just hoping it hadn't had happened so soon.

Most of the Olympians had gone off to battle Typhon. Olympus was left with little or no defences. It was now up to us to defend Olympus, should the Olympians fail to defeat Typhon in time.

In other words, Camp Half-blood was going to war. The war god cabins, namely Athena and Ares, took over training. We worked on our fighting style and practiced various strategies. My cabin began designing new weapons and left to the Hephaestus cabin to build it. Needless to say, I was the busiest one of all. Other than looking for a good alternative for Celestial Bronze, because let's face it we're not exactly abundant with it, I had to find a way to even the odds when the titan army arrives.

I made a quick summary of our status quo. We had home field advantage, so to say. The titans can't attack by air since the wind gods were still on our side. That would only leave us with ground assault. Now the million dollar question is _how to defeat and army that outnumbers you by a hundred to one?_

For days I'd been racking my brain, scouring every resource to solve our problem. And so far, I couldn't find a single thing that could give us an edge against the titans. My last hope was Daedalus' laptop. But I can't seem to find anything we could mass produce in a matter of days.

After hours of research I took a breath and closed the lid of the laptop. This was going nowhere. I decided to read my favourite architecture book, just to clear my head and try to come up with new ideas.

As I took it out of the shelves, a piece of paper slipped out of the book pages. When I picked it up, I found myself staring at a picture of me and Percy dancing on Olympus. It was taken sometime after Percy had saved me and Artemis from Atlas.

Needless to say, the photo made me miss him. Whenever I wasn't with him I felt empty, like there was something missing in my life. It's probably the main reason why can't think straight right now. The most important part of my life was at St. Thomas having fun with his _girlfriend_.

I pushed away the thought as quickly as it came. Now is not the time to cry about things I should've done. People are counting on me to be Annabeth, not some heartbroken schoolgirl. I needed to use my mom's wisdom and my dad's ingen-

Wait a minute, my dad. Of course! The answer was so simple I can't believe I hadn't thought about it sooner. Well maybe if I'd thought about Percy earlier I would've but it doesn't matter. I flipped up Daedalus' laptop and began making the design for my idea.

**Percy**

As I was submerged in the river Styx, I finally understood the panic of drowning. For the first time in my life I couldn't breathe underwater. And to make matter worse, every molecule in my body was ready to explode. I could literally feel myself dissolving in the water. I saw faces—Grover, Tyson, my mother—but they faded as soon as they appeared.

Rachel's face appeared a little longer.

"Fight back" she said. But she soon disappeared.

I was losing the fight. The pain was too much. My hands and feet were disentegrating into the water. My soul was being ripped from my body. I couldn't remember who I was. The pain of Kronos's scythe had been nothing compared to this.

The cord, a familiar voice said. _Remember your lifeline, dummy!_

Suddenly there was a tug in my lower back. The current pulled at me, but it wasn't carrying me away anymore. I imagined the string in my back keeping me tied to the shore.

"Hold on, Seaweed Brain." It was Annabeth's voice, much clearer now. "You're not getting away from me that easily."

The cord strengthened.

I could see Annabeth now—standing barefoot above me on the canoe lake pier. I'd fallen out of my canoe. That was it. She was reaching out her hand to haul me up, and she was trying not to laugh. She wore her orange camp T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was tucked up in her Yankees cap, which was strange because that should have made her invisible.

"You are such an idiot sometimes." She smiled. "Come on. Take my hand."

When I took her hand I burst out of the water and gasped for air. I crawled out towards the riverbank and breathed heavily. All this time, I hadn't realised how important Annabeth was to me. She was the most important thing in my life and I'd done nothing but hurt her for the past few days. She probably hates my guts now.

But before I could think of anything else, something swooped around me. And before I knew it I was wrapped in chains. I struggled to get free of my bonds. Then I heard a loud and familiar laughter. I turned and saw none other than Hades, Lord of the dead. He stood beside Nico, who didn't look very pleased.

"Welcome back, Nephew" Hades grinned wickedly "Ihope you brought your luggage because you'll be staying here…_forever_".

**A/N Anyone have any idea what Annabeth thought of? Remember to review**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/NHi guys! Sorry I haven't posted my update for so long, been kind of busy. But look on the bright side, at least it's not just an author's note**

**Percy**

Okay, so I got caught, what else is new?

Hades grew into his full size and glowered at me like I just stole his symbols of power. His mere presence had already sent shivers down my spine. But I didn't want to give hime the pleasure of seeing me scared, so I stood my ground and began to think of some threatening thing to say. After some self-deliberation, I came up with the perfect response.

"Hi Uncle" I tried a smile.

Okay, so that's not exactly the most threatening statement but it's something.

"Dad, this isn't what it looks like-"Nico started

"Silence!" Hades growled. "I'll deal with you later."

"And you…" he turned to me."You trespass into my domain, bathe in one of my sacred rivers and you dare say hi to me?"

"Why? Did you want me to say hello instead? "

Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said but if I couldn't intimidate him the least I could do was annoy him.

"Dad please, this isn't Percy's fault. I was the one who-"

"I said enough. GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

In the blink of an eye Nico was gone and a wisp of black smoke rose from where he once stood. If Hades didn't say 'go to your room' I might've thought he'd just disintegrated his own son.

"And YOU" Hades grudgingly said as he turned to me. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you yet. But I'll make sure you rot in my dungeon for the rest of your miserable life!"

A shroud of darkness swallowed me. I felt as if I got sucked into a black hole. I don't know how long I shadow travelled but it felt like an eternity. Moments later, I found myself sitting in a padded cell with no doors or windows. I was officially trapped.

**Nico**

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed in frustration.

It had been at least an hour since I was unwillingly teleported into my room. I'd tried everything, from banging the door to shadow travelling, but it seems my dad did a pretty good job of sealing me in.

_There has to be a way out _I thought to myself. I couldn't stay here. I have to get me and Percy out before the Titans attack. Plus, I still have to collect my payment from Poseidon.

I began thinking of other means of escape but they all required skills I didn't have. I was about to give up when it hit me. If I could get word out about what happened to us people would come and rescue us. I know that doesn't sound like the makings of a great hero but every now and then everyone needs help. I rummage through my pockets to see if I still had any drachmas left. I use to have a ton of it since my dad was lord of the underworld, where all gold silver and other stuff are found, and all.

"Yes!" I cried with delight. Now, all I need is a rainbow. I know there aren't many rainbows in the land of the dead. But I'm sure I can work something out.

**Annabeth**

I met with the Stoll brothers at the big house to discuss my plans to defend Olympus. The plan was simple, get airplanes and equip them with our weapons. But by the looks on their face I think they didn't understand a word I ju8st said.

"Can you do it?"

"Could you run that by me again?" Travis said. "I just want to make sure I'm not hallucinating."

"I said 'I need you to steal a squadron of world war two fighter planes."

"Who are you and what have you done with Annabeth?" Conner joked

I rolled my eyes "Look, I don't really like stealing but given the circumstances we don't have a choice. We really need these planes. It'll give us several adva- "

"We get it! Save the pep talk for your siblings." Travis cut me off. "But why does it have to be World War 2 planes? Why not just get modern planes? Plus, where can we find them?"

"We need to use World War 2 planes because they're slower and it's easier for you guys to pilot." I continued. "You could try the Smithsonian or the National museum of the USAF, or- you know what just try all the big museums."

"Alright" Connor said. "Say we find them, how do we know if those old planes will still work?"

"That's why Beckendorf's going with you. He's already working on something for those planes."

All of a sudden, Beckendorf burst into the big house. He had this crazy grin on his face, the one he always has when he'd invented something spectacular.

"Annabeth you need to see this!"

"See what?"

He didn't even respond to my question and just dragged me out of the Big House. After a brief walk I found myself standing in front of the canoe lake. Michael Yew of the Apollo cabin was waiting for us, along with a slumbering sea serpent they'd summoned.

"This was what you wanted to show me?" I asked Beckendorf motioning towards the monster

"Not that, this" he showed me a mortal's arrow.

"You brought me out here to show me an arrow?"

"This no ordinary arrow" Beckendorf started. "Watch"

He handed it to Michael and he aimed it straight at the monster. I was curious with what the arrow could do against a seas serpent. Michael managed to lodge the arrow under one of its scales. A few seconds later the sea serpent burst into green flames and crumbled to dust.

"Okay, what was THAT?" I asked incredulously.

"Just Beckendorf's latest creation. "Michael replied with a grin.

Beckendorf handed me another arrow that looked like the one Michael just shot. I made a quick scan and observed one small difference. On the celestial arrow head, there was some sort of green liquid.

"Is that Greek fire?"

"Yeah"Beckendorf said "I've been working on that since last summer. I'm not gonna get all technical with you, basically, the Greek fire is triggered and injected once it hits the monster. It's pretty effective as you can see, plus we only need small amounts of celestial bronze."

Possibilities began racing through my brain. We could equip the planes and our archers with these. We could wipe out a significant portion of the Titan's army

"How fast can you make these?"

"I could have ten thousand arrows in roughly a week. We're working on a new machine that'll pick up the pace." Beckendorf said. "We could really use your help."

"i-"

"Annabeth!" Someone called.

Malcolm came sprinting towards me. He paused to catch his breath and then he raised his finger

"Someone's looking for you." He caught his breath

"Who?"

"I don't know, said her name was Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

**A/N don't forget to leave a review :D**


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